Monday, April 25, 2011

The Older Brother In Me

I love Easter. It is the single most important day in human history. I love to sing the classics like 'Up From the Grave' and also sing newer songs like Phil Wickham's 'True Love'.

But something creeps up in me when I see the place packed with people. Something in me sees the droves of people who weren't there the week before...weren't there to go to the depths of darkness on Good Friday...and that won't likely be there next Sunday...or any other until December.

Its OBS...Older Brother Syndrome. If you read the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, it is easy to see how OBS comes about. I go to church every week. I sit in multiple services every week. I tithe every week. I serve in the church every week. And Easter comes, the crescendo of the faith, the climax of Christianity, the moment of all moments, and I have to share it with them? The ones who I presume are not really following Jesus? The ones who don't give of their gifts or their time or their wallets to enhance the Kingdom of God? Seriously what kind of deal is that? I labor all year and when I finally get to the moment I've been waiting for, I have to share it with the notorious C & E'ers? They squander the inheritance that God has given them and yet they are welcomed to the party?

OBS is not of God...and the words I need whispered in my ear in this self-righteous, self-absorbed moment, are "Everything I have is yours."

When I see that God is not holding out on me, my eyes change and I see pews of people, just like me, desperate (knowingly or unknowingly) for God to lavish more of his grace and love in our lives.

We are all works in progress...it's just that those with OBS have a lot further to go than they might think.

The Thompsons

We are a family that desires to trade in our small story for His grand story. We are following God's call to plant a church in Columbus, Ohio. This journey has almost cost us our daughter, but we are confident that He has called us...and that He is enough. And all it takes to change the world is a little bit of mustard.